The Warner sun. (Warner, Brown Co., Dakota [S.D.]) 1885-1???, 1887-12-09

Congress- has not by the existing legislation Tn-
dertaken 70 inaugurate such a reVolntioh. Tug
competition by water Is the LAosI ImPo.'Sno
facror in forcing rates to q low level NJ the
Doiuts where the lines Of land ana water Trans
DOrtaiiOn interseCt. The experience Of InTT
country has demonstrated that the arIInCidl
ra11i waYo Gann0S q siccS@@:=! ccTeHSE""rA WIN
tho railroads on full terms. The railroads long
since deprived the great canals OF ohlo' IhuI1IS
and Illinois Of nearly all their Importance anu
the Erie canal is only maintained as q Eie"g
channel of trade by The liberalitY OF the State OF
New York in making it's use free. In their cou-
l|ctillye struggles with tCh other towns cauuoGG
ignore the effect which the existence OF Ha.U Ta
waterways must have upon I&llroau "aIIhH' ~
railroad companies cannot ignore 1t, nor can 'Ht
commission lgnCre it If competition Is SlIii ~
exist and be allowed for It's force acool"a"T ~
natural laws. Neither can The great tree Ere
canal be ignored; IL Influences the rates 10 NGW
York more than any other one cause anu M
reCliv, through its influence upon the Iates "
New York, it influences these TO all oJhet sea
board cities, and, indeed, TO all that section OF
the country.
THE LAW BENEFICIAL
The commission fluids that the operation OF
the law has, in general, been beneficial; that
it tends to increase railroad earnings, while,
ct the same time, the tendency of rates has
been downward These facts are attributed
to the increased movement of materials, in
duced by faith IN the stability and fairness
of the CHARGES On amendments to the law
the report says;
The commission has not seen occasion for rec
Ommeuding any very considerable changes IN
the at under which lis work is performed. IL
has seemed t. its members that the law tor the
regulation Of Interstate should he per
mlt!eu to save a growth, and thai 1t would most
surely as wen AS most safely attain . hlEh de-
gree OF efficiency and usefulness in that way.
The general features of the act are grounded IN
principles that will stand the test OF time ana
experience, can determine whether all the pro-
visions made for their enforcement are safe,
sound and workable. When they prove
NOT 10 be. the experience will
be a safe gard in legislation to
perfect. Incidentally in this report some need
of amendment has been pointed out. Especially
ought The law, as w think, to Indicate IN plain
terms whether the express business and all
other transportation by the carriers named in
the act shall be governed by its provisions. The
provision against the sudden raising Of rates
ought to be clearly made applicable TO JOINT
rates as well aS to others. The commission
ought also TO have the authority and the
means to bring about something like unanimlty
of the method of publishing rates, which Is now
in great confusion. apd 10 carefully examine, col
ledt and supervise the schedules, contracts, etc
required by the law to be filed, as well as prop
erly to handle the mass of statistical Informal
ton called for by the twentieth section Other
matters, and particularly whether tranSpOrta-
ton BIZ water shall I've made subject to the act,
are committed to the wisdom Of congress with
OLt recommendation.